Theodor Pröpper was a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 church organist

Organist

An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...

 and composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

. Pröpper was born in Balve

Balve

Balve is a town in the Märkischer Kreis district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in Hönnetal, a narrow valley created by the river Hönne, which is near the Sorpesee, formerly part of Balve, and at the north end of the Sauerland, near Dortmund...

 and spent most of his career there as an organist at Saint Blasius church.

Career

Pröpper studied at the church music school in Paderborn

Paderborn

Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...

 from 1912 to 1914, after which he became organist at the St. Blaise parish church in Balve.

He later studied at the State Academy of Music

Hochschule für Musik und Theater München

The Hochschule für Musik und Theater München is one of the most respected traditional vocational universities in Germany specialising in music and the performing arts. The seat of the Hochschule is the former Führerbau of the NSDAP, located at Arcisstraße 12, on the eastern side of the Königsplatz...

 in Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

 (with Joseph Haas

Joseph Haas

Joseph Haas was a German late romantic composer and music teacher.-Biography:He was born in Maihingen, near Nördlingen to teacher Alban Haas from his second marriage, being half-brother to the theologist and historian Alban Haas. At an early age he came into contact with music...

 among his teachers) and also had private composition lessons from Gottfried Rüdinger, returning to Balve in 1925. From 1930 to 1934 he held a position in the local government but was removed by the Nazis. In February 1946 he became deputy mayor of Balve.

Pröpper received a number of church honours and appointments throughout his career. In 1966 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit (first class) and in 1974, the Orlando di Lasso medal.

He died in Balve and was buried there.

Volunteering

Theodor Pröpper was the co-founder of Sauerländer Heimatbund

Sauerländer Heimatbund

The Sauerländer Heimatbund Heimat is a German word that has no simple English translation. It is often expressed with terms such as home or homeland, but these English counterparts fail to encapsulate centuries of German consciousness and the thousands of connections this quintessential aspect of...

.

Works (selected)

• Tu es Petrus, cantata
• Johanneskantate", cantata
• Klingemund, songbook
• Das Balver Zeitwendspiel, drama
• Franz Hoffmeister
  Franz Hoffmeister
  Franz Hoffmeister was a Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Sauerländer Heimatbund and Festspiele Balver Höhle.-Vita:He was consecrated to a Roman Catholic priest by bishop Hähling von Lanzenauer in 1924....
  
  . Leben und Werk, Verlag Bonifatius Druckerei, Paderborn 1949

Recordings

• Tu es Petrus (op. 26) Märkisches Jugendsinfonieorchester and Oratorienchor Letmathe, director: Gerhard Michalski, recorded by Johannes Freiherr von Linden, mpc records 58802002, in cooperation with Festspiele Balver Höhle
  Festspiele Balver Höhle
  Festspiele Balver Höhle is an arts festival, featuring musical and theatrical performances, in Balve, Germany. The festival is centered around the cave of Balve...
  
  

Naira Gloudschadze (soprano)

Marie-Helen Joel (contralto)

Terence Vanden Berg (tenor)

Dieter Goffing (bass)

Gebhard Reichmann (organ)